Simplified Explanation of Rhythm Part Two
By Maggie
Hi Mark,Very good questions!!! "Syllable" is the same thing as "beat." I must have made a mistake on "Once" if I said it had two beats. All syllables have one beat. I will check and see if that needs to be corrected in the post. Thanks for pointing it out!!!
Knowing how many syllables a line of poetry has is not all there is to rhythm though. The writer also has to know if each of the "syllables" or "beats" should and normally is stressed (accented) or unstressed (unaccented). Think of a drummer in a band. He hits harder sometimes than he does other times. When he hits harder the drums are louder.
Webster's Collegiate Dictionary lists the stressed syllables of every single word. Right after the listing of the word you will see the following ( ). Inside the parentheses you will find the word separated into syllables. Also, inside the parentheses you will find two other bits of information: (1) how to pronounce the vowels and (2) which syllable or syllables should be emphasized. I'll see if I can copy and paste a dictionary entry below this.
1for·ev·er
I hope the red will come out when this is posted. Notice that "ev" is underlined and red. On a computer accented or emphasized syllables are sometimes underlined. In books they are marked not underlined.
Listen to the pronunciation of "forever." Notice that it has three syllables but one is stressed or emphasized more than the other two. The stressed or accented syllable is "ev."
http://www.macmillandictionary.com/pronunciation/british/forever
All lines of rhyme and rhythm poetry should have the same number of stressed or emphasized syllables or beats. The reason your poem is so well done rhythmically is in large part in the beginning because you use a lot of one-syllable words. When you get to two and three syllable words you mess up. All lines in the same poem also have to have the same number of unstressed or unemphasized syllables too.
Now for the hard part: The emphasized and unemphasized syllables should come in the same order of sequence in all the lines of the poem.
When you used one-syllable words there were no unstressed syllables or very few, so you had no trouble with unstressed or unemphasized syllables.
I will try to get an access to let you listen to this. I'm googling now so keep your fingers crossed that I can find an audio link.
http://www.vtaide.com/png/msagents.htm
If you have the correct computer equipment listed on the site, you should scroll down until you get to the "nursery rhymes" links. Listen to them all and I believe you can hear the rhythm of emphasized and unemphasized syllables.
Mark, I 've got to stop typing now, but do your own research too. Rhythm in poetry is a good thing to google or research at the library. A good reference librarian can help. Be sure you add "Rhythm for traditional rhyme and rhythm" Not free style or free verse!!!!!
Peggy
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